Alexander Mackay

General Alexander Mackay (1717 – 31 May 1789) was a Scottish soldier in the British Army, and a politician. The son of George Mackay, 3rd Lord Reay, he was the younger brother of George Mackay of Skibo (c.1715–1782). During the Jacobite rising of 1745, he was captured by Jacobite forces at the Battle of Prestonpans. Mackay became a lieutenant-colonel in Hedworth Lambton's Regiment of Foot on 18 December 1755. Mackay served out much of the Seven Years' War in Ireland, where he raised his own regiment in 1762. He submitted an application to become commander of the East India Company's forces in April 1777 and received the support of King George III but was turned down as the company "objected to gentlemen of North Britain [Scotland] for commands in chief". On 13 May 1780 he was appointed Commander of the forces in North Britain, replacing Sir James Adolphus Oughton, and instigated reforms to reduce expenditure and remove sinecures.

Mackay's brother George, 5th Lord Reay, died in 1782 and Alexander assumed control of the estate on behalf of his nephew, Hugh (the 6th Lord Reay), who was deemed to be an imbecile. In this capacity he proposed a postal service for Sutherland, assisted the kelp and fishing industries and constructed the pier at Eriboll.

Political career

Mackay was elected at the 1761 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sutherland,

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